​Kids & knives: The right thing, the right way

Kids & knives: The right thing, the right way

As knife enthusiasts, there's perhaps nothing as satisfying as sharing our passion with the young people in our lives.

That's not as easy as it used to be. In fact, you may have heard that the Scout Association in the U.K. (the equivalent of the Boy Scouts of America) has all but banned Scouts and their parents from carrying knives -- even bringing them to camp. Sadly, that kind of silliness is invading our shores as well.

Look, we're not inclined to get political and we're not going to start now. All the same, taking knives out of the hands of Boy Scouts strikes us as flat-out wrong.

We believe that introducing kids to knives not only is acceptable, it's the right thing to do, and for a lot of reasons. It also has to be done the right way, of course, and we have a few suggestions.

How young is too young?

We get that question a lot, and here's our simple answer: It depends.

As a parent or a mentor, you're a first-hand witness to a child's development and, as we all know, kids mature at different rates. Notice how the youngster deals with concepts like learning and frustration in other areas of life and use your observations to gauge when the time is right to put a knife into their hands.

Begin without a knife.

This may sound counter-intuitive, but in the context of our previous suggestion it makes sense.

Think about it -- you're contemplating entrusting a kid with a tool that can harm as surely as it helps, so the most important concept you'll be teaching is responsibility. With that in mind, first create an environment of responsibility and then, at the proper moment, introduce a knife.

For some of us, this'll bring back childhood memories of tagging along with an adult during hunting season. At first we weren't allowed to carry a gun of our own -- maybe we were handed a long stick and shown how to hold it and walk with it. Once we'd demonstrated the appropriate respect, we were handed an unloaded gun and the process began again. Only when we passed that trial to our elders' satisfaction were we permitted to tote a loaded gun in the field.

It's like that. Pay attention, and use your judgment.

Set a good example.

For better and often for worse, children mimic what they observe. If you're the kind of knife knut who plays mumblety-peg with your adult friends or twirls your Bowie like a majorette with a baton, you can be absolutely sure that the young people in your life will imitate your behavior.

If you think that they won't -- or that they won't see you -- think again. You're a teacher by deeds as well as words. Keep it clean.

Keep it simple.

This advice applies to both tools and skills. That "first knife" probably should be a single-blade model, and it's usually advisable to teach making fuzz sticks before moving on to whittling, batoning and shelter-building.

Also, you might want to consider starting with a small fixed-blade knife rather than a folder. Opening and closing a pocketknife safely is a skill to be learned, and some kids can find it intimidating.

One of our favorite "first knives," by the way, is Bark River's Mini-Canadian. The way it's designed -- relatively short handle, but with a generous choil -- it's as comfortable in child-sized hands as it is for full-grown adults. It's one of the most practical knives we know of, regardless of who's wielding it, and it'll be something that a young person can "grow into."

Start small, go slow.

As enthusiastic as you may be about edged tools, it can be tempting to rush the learning process -- giving a kid a knife that's too big or teaching skills before a child is mentally, physically or emotionally ready to absorb them.

The child, like any student, is your barometer of what to teach and when. Again, pay close attention. They'll let you know.

Don't be a geek.

Be aware that your passion for knives might cross the line into outright geekiness. You can speak with authority about every grind, pattern, steel and maker.

You're not just a knife knut -- you're a knife knerd. We're not naming names here, but c'mon, you know who you are.

There may be no faster way to sabotage a child's interest than to have an encyclopedia for a teacher. Put a sock in it -- unless, of course, the kid you're teaching is a geek. In that case, by all means go for it.

If you can, teach history.

Encyclopedic knowledge notwithstanding, and if a child shows an interest in the "why" behind knives, take the opportunity to share the history of edged tools -- the stories of natives and settlers, the influence of woodsmen and knifemakers, and so forth.

It's our duty, quite frankly, to pass this rich tradition to the generations that follow our own. Depending on the kid, this might be your chance.

Keep the Band-Aids handy.

We've never met anyone who didn't cut themselves while learning to use their first knives. Most of us still do from time to time.

(In fact, members of our  KnivesShipFree staff aren't considered official employees until they've inadvertently drawn their own blood.)

So yes, cuts are going to happen. Expect it. Be sure to have a first-aid kit -- stocked with adhesive strips, butterfly bandages and some sort of soothing antiseptic salve or spritz -- nearby.

Remember the point.

Ultimately, edged tools simply are our means to a variety of ends -- a warm fire, a successful hunt, a well-prepared meal. In other words, it's not about the knife -- it's about skills.

When you bring a knife into a child's life, teach from that perspective. Focus on what they can do with a tool rather than on the inanimate object in their hands.

Let kids teach you.

We saved this for last because it's the best part of introducing kids to knives. If you're a parent, you already know what we're talking about.

Children, taught with patience, often remind us that we don't know everything. In their learning, they show us what we've forgotten. If we're truly aware, they can teach us as much as we teach them -- and that, in the end, may be the greatest reward.